The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for sensory stimulation. The invention is particularly applicable for stimulating the sense of touch.
Manual input devices, such as joysticks and mice, are frequently complemented by means for providing tactile sensations such that the manual input devices provide tactile feedback to their users. There are hundreds of US patents for tactile feedback devices. In most or all of the prior art devices the tactile stimulation is generated by means of moving or vibrating mechanical members. A problem shared by most such devices is that such moving mechanical members tend to be bulky, unreliable and/or difficult to control.